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No rest for Australian swimmers

Paul Mulvey

Australia's swimmers have no chance to relax and enjoy their Commonwealth Games success as they head straight home to prepare for next month's Pan Pacs and much bigger opponents.

The swimmers leave Glasgow on Wednesday night and will miss the Games closing ceremony on Sunday after also missing the opening ceremony the night before their competition began.

But missing the fun part of the Games is a sacrifice 200m breaststroke gold medallist Taylor McKeown is prepared to make, especially with a date with a full strength US team awaiting.

"It's a little bit disappointing that the Australian swim team can't attend the opening or closing ceremony," McKeown said on Tuesday.

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"However, we came here with a purpose and our purpose was to race fast. If racing fast and racing well meant we have to miss the opening and closing ceremony, then so be it."

McKeown has already put the Commonwealth Games behind her and started her preparation for the Pan Pacific championships which start on the Gold Coast on August 21.

She won gold on Saturday, had a day off on Sunday and was back into full training on Monday.

While the Americans will be a much tougher Pan Pacs opponent than the Commonwealth can offer, McKeown will also face Japanese breaststrokers Kanako Watanabe and Rie Kaneto who have clocked the second and third fastest times in the world this year.

Backing up for such a major competition so close to the Commonwealth Games will be a challenge, McKeown admits, but she believes the Australians will take confidence from their success in Glasgow where they've won 17 gold medals with one night of competition remaining.

"It is tough, but it's nothing I haven't done before, so I know exactly what to do and how to prepare, how to get refocused again for Pan Pacs," she said.

"It is in a way an advantage for Australia. If you've raced well, it's going to give you the confidence you can do it again.

"I don't think it would affect the other countries too much that haven't had that opportunity, because most of them have had trials, so they've already had a practice meet where they can race fast and get their confidence."

The US national championships and Pan Pacs trials are held in the second week of August, when Michael Phelps is expected to earn his first selection for an international meeting since his comeback to swimming earlier this year.

The US team is expected to be full of Olympic champions, including Ryan Lochte, Nathan Adrian, Missy Franklin and Alison Schmitt.